Pain, Sacrifice, and Love
by rosesandanguishlover2013
Summary: 1st movie. When Tony is captured, Pepper has to live through each day without him. But can she?
1. The Beginning

I walked down the stairs to Tony's workshop, holding an espresso in one hand, and a bunch of reports in the other. I punched in my code at the door, seeing Tony underneath one of his cars. I walked up to him, my stilettos clicking on the concrete floor. "You were supposed to be at the airport three hours ago." I said flatly as he got out from underneath the car, a greasy part in his hand. "Funny, I thought since it was my plane it would wait for me." he said, walking across the workshop, grabbing the espresso from my hand as he walked by.

"Hilarious, Tony. But you should still be on time." I said, following him. "Alright, alright! I'll go in twenty." You have some papers to sign for your approval," I told him, passing them along. He signed them, saying "Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me? Have plans? A _date_, maybe?" I rolled my eyes. "I'm allowed to have plans on my birthday, Tony." He looked at me. "It's your birthday? Already?" I smirked at him, astounded at his absentmindedness. "Yes. Amazingly, it was the same day last year."

He walked toward me, grinning a bit as he said, "Buy yourself something nice from me then, alright?" I retorted, "I already did." He full out smiled. "Is it good?" I responded, "Oh yes, very nice, tasteful, elegant, yes, _thank you_, Mr. Stark." He said, still smirking, "Your welcome."

I glanced at the clock. "You need to get going! Your already late!" He, still smirking, grabbed the keys to the R8, took the bag I left by the door, threw it in the trunk, and said "Of course, My Lady. Anything for you, My Lady." I glared at him. "_Go!" _ He grinned and got in, started the car, and drove out through the tunnel, already gaining speed. I sighed. Sometimes my boss can be _so _childish.

(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)

12 hours later…

I woke up groggily to my Blackberry ringing. _What the hell? It's 4:00 in the freaking morning!_ I answered, blearily saying, "Virginia Potts, How may I help you?" "Pepper?" I heard on the other line. "Rhodey? Rhodey what's wrong?" immediately sensing the panic and distress in my friends voice. "Pepper….It's Tony." I sighed. What had he done now? "What did he do?" "He didn't _do_ anything. The humvee he was riding in was attacked by terrorists. It exploded." I gasped; panic rushing through my mind, preventing me from thinking clearly.

"Is he alright?" I asked desperately. The thought of losing Tony stabbed me through the heart, causing unendurable pain. He was all I had. Rhodey gasped. It sounded like he was sobbing, actually _sobbing._ It was bad then…my heart ripped in two, tears starting to slip beneath my closed eyelids. "We don't know, Pepper. There was no sign of him. All we f-found was his ripped up j- jacket. It had…it had… _blood_ all over it." My heart was ripped to shreds, and became lost. I couldn't breathe; I couldn't think…I felt like screaming from the agony of it, of the pain engulfing my body. "We…we think he was captured by them, but nothing is certain." He paused. "I'm so sorry, Pepper…." His voice faded into sobs. The phone went dead. I sat there still crying, numbly. Suddenly, I was surrounded by horribly mind numbing pain. The anguish of it made me scream, cry out. It enclosed me in the torment of my sorrow, my pain, the endless repetition of it over and over again. "_Alright, alright! I'll go in twenty….As I own the plane, it should wait for me….it's your birthday? Already?...Buy yourself something nice from me… your __**welcome**__…..have plans? A date, maybe?...Of course my Lady, anything for you, My Lady…_the sound of his voice, of his last words to me, echoed through my mind, intensifying my suffering. I sobbed harder, falling to my knees, an image of his smile as he left inscribed in my mind … It would never end, and this _anguish_ would never end, not as long as Tony….I cried out again in grief at even the thought of his name, was… gone. Gone from this place, gone from his home, gone from…me. My self, my soul, my _being_, was broken, would be broken, until he came back, _if _he came back… My thoughts crumbled as I dissolved into heart wrenching sobs, never stopping, until darkness took me.

A/N- New story! Very dark, this one. Not for kiddies. Will update soon! R&R! Reviews are love! -K


	2. Days 1,2,3

_**Day 1**_

I woke up slowly, sitting up from my cramped position on the floor, my muscles protesting as I stood up. Disoriented, I looked around my empty and quiet apartment. _H-how did I end up on the floor? Was I up late doing some work or sorting through Tony's- _with a gasp of pain at _his_ name, It all came flooding back to me. Tony-shudder- was gone. Captured by terrorists. The anguish took me over again, but this time, I heard a voice- begging, pleading… _no! Don't leave me here Pepper! Don't leave me here alone! I need you!...No! Don't do this to me! Please! No! Pepper, Pepper, Pepper,….please come back…. I need you….Please…._ the pain intensified as I remembered the _horrible _nightmares I had as I slept. Visions of Tony battered, broken, tortured…_dead…._danced before my eyes mocking me, causing me to scream out. Weeping, I staggered to the bed before I collapsed, still sobbing, his voice screaming in pain as the visions continued….I lost myself to the pain.

I didn't resurface.

_**Day 2**_

Pain, Anguish, grief….voices. _Pepper! Please come back!...come save me from these people! They are hurting me, Pepper…._ Sounds. Cries of pain, following by screaming, then quiet. Soft crying, like a young child, reaches my ears. I know this is Tony. He is alone…._ I'm scared, Pepper….._

_**Day 3**_

I get up slowly today, moving my arms and legs carefully, as if they would break at the slightest misstep. I move out of my bedroom, into the living room. I realized I was hungry, so I turned toward the kitchen, and open the fridge pulling out the milk, and reaching for a glass. I poured it into the glass shakily, and put the milk back in the fridge. I took a sip, than put the glass down. I got some crackers from the cabinet, and ate a couple. Immediately, visions of Tony not having anything to eat or drink, being in pain, took hold of me, and I ran to the bathroom. Bending over the toilet, I threw up what little sustenance I had eaten. Washing my face, I looked in the mirror. I looked pale and haggard, my eyes puffy and swollen. _I look terrible. _I thought, looking at myself. My eyes were filled with pain, the bright blue dulled. My hair was in a wild disarray, the polished red locks now hung limply about my face, almost brown. _Tony…his face danced behind my eyes, looking even worse than I did, blood on his face. _I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to keep from going to pieces...it did not help. I sobbed and gasped, trying to regain control, but the grief and pain kept coming in waves as each thought hit me like a knife…_ Tony hurt….screaming…..crying….suffering…..begging…pleading…_ His voice came to me, faintly…_ no! Anything but that! Please! I'll tell you anything!...I don't know…..I don't know…_ cries of his pain echo in my ears. I curl up in a ball, rocking back and forth and breathing through the pain. _Please come back, Tony…._

A/N- Okay please know that this is Pepper's mind making up stuff, they don't have a mind link or anything…though that would be cool. more to come! Hope you like! R&R! reviews are love! -K


	3. The Best Birthday

_**Disclaimer for all chapters-I Do Not Own Characters. Marvel Owns. Wish I did, but I don't, so don't sue me. -K**_

_**Day 4**_

I lie in my bed, motionless, comatose. Rhodey had called, but I hadn't answered, afraid of what might have happened. My emotions were warring for dominance when it rang again. What happened? I need to answer! What if Tony was found? But- what if he was….dead…and all they found was a….b-body…..

Rhodey chose for me. The voice mail picked up, and I hesitantly pushed the answer button.

"Pepper, will you please pick up?"

"I'm here, Rhodey."

My voice was hoarse and cracked from the lack of talking and the endless crying.

"Pepper! Oh thank God, I've called you five times in the last hour!"

"I'm sorry, Rhodey."

"It's all right. We have news…about Tony."

I winced at the sound of _his _name, and then shuddered, fearing what he would say.

"We've been looking, but we haven't found anything. It's nigh impossible to find anyone in these caves."

"C-caves?"

"Yes, the terrorists are hiding out in caves near where the demonstration took place. We think he was taken there."

Images of Tony in a dark cave huddled in some cell, not seeing daylight for who knows how long….

"What can I do?"

"Nothing. The military are taking care of the search. You can't come here, Pepper. You have no training and it's too dangerous. I'm sorry."

Irrational anger rose to the surface of my mind, influencing my words. How dare he say that I can't come help Tony! I need to! I don't have to go out in the field, but I want to be there, knowing immediately what is happening, rather than hidden away in my empty apartment, helpless.

"You don't understand, Rhodey! I NEED TO BE THERE! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING! NOT HIDDEN AWAY HERE, HELPLESS! I need…I need…."

My voice faltered, my anger died. The familiar grief and pain took over. I cried silently, sobbing now and again.

"Pepper, I know you hate doing nothing. Especially if it's about Tony. I'll keep you updated as much as I can. Why don't you go to Tony's house and stay there for a while? It would be easier to contact Jarvis and he can give more detailed information about the search. Alright?"

I stopped crying, at least for the moment. Rhodey would keep me updated. I wouldn't be here, not knowing anything. And I would stay in Tony's house, with Jarvis to help me. To help me look for Tony.

"Alright."

_**Day 5**_

I packed a bag with clothes and some things I would need. I didn't bring much, since some of my things were already in Tony's-wince-house. Sometimes I would need to stay the night to get him up in the morning, so I left some things at his house just in case. I came out of my room for the first time in days.

I walked out my front door, then turned back and locked it. I was not dressed to perfection as usual. My hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and my eyes, slightly red, had no makeup. My face was still pale, and I had only jeans and a ratty old sweatshirt on.

I walked down the stairs slowly, one step at a time, till I got to the parking garage where my Audi A5 waited. It had been a gift from Tony on my birthday that first year I started working for him, the only time he had remembered.

_I walked out to the driveway of Tony's house. I had been working for him for about a year, and we had already developed a friendship. I liked him, liked working for him, it was never dull. He had said to come out to the front, because he had a surprise. _

_I wondered what it was, sometimes he liked playing jokes on me, and I hoped he hadn't, not today. It was my birthday, and I had things planned, and didn't have time to go back to my apartment to take a shower. I came through the end of the walkway in the front of the house, and saw a gorgeous silver Audi. Tony was standing in front of it, grinning like a little kid._

"_Whose is this?"_

_I said, reverently stroking the hood. His grin widened._

"_Yours. Happy birthday, Pepper."_

_I ceased my movements on the car, shocked._

"_But-you got me a __**car**__? For my __**birthday**__? It's too much!"_

_He laughed lightly._

"_Technically, __**I **__didn't get you the car. Stark Industries did. This is the car the company gave you. I just upgraded it a little."_

"_What did you do?"_

"_I gave it the fancy silver paint job, upped the speed, and downloaded Jarvis into it."_

_He said, looking pleased with himself._

_I looked at him, smiling slightly. Then I did something that surprised both him __**and**__ me. I reached up and wrapped my arms around him. He started it a little, tensed slightly, and then relaxed and hugged me back. I pulled away after a couple of seconds._

"_Thank you. It's beautiful."_

_He smiled brilliantly at me. _

"_You're welcome. I didn't want you to drive around in that old piece of junk forever."_

_He said, referring to my old Toyota Corolla._

"_Hey! I loved that 'old piece of junk' as you call it."_

_He laughed at my indignant expression, than after looking at him for a couple of seconds, I laughed too._

_It was the best birthday I ever had._

I started to sob quietly as I got in the front seat, remembering that day. It had been so wonderful, one of my best days with Tony. I pulled out of the garage and down the street, heading toward the highway, still crying silently. I needed him to come back, alive and well, before I lost my self forever.

_**Rhodey's POV**_

I sat in the helicopter silently after my phone call with Pepper. She sounded horrible, like she was barely surviving each day without Tony. It broke my heart when I heard her start crying. I knew she was in love with him, and that's why she was so grief stricken about possibly losing him. We had been searching for days for my lost best friend. I didn't want to dwell too much on what might be happening to him, because I would lose it. And I can't. Not unless I want to find him. I needed to, for Pepper, and for myself.

A/N- Yes, I will be throwing in some other POVs, mostly Rhodey's for now. I will update soon. Promise. R&R, reviews are love! -K


	4. Love and Hope

_**Day 6 –Tony's House**_

I walked up the front walk, pausing for a moment before opening the front door. Once inside, I looked around the familiar room. The house seemed empty and lonely without Tony and his bright personality. I moved toward the stairs, glancing down the staircase to the workshop. I couldn't go down there yet. I wasn't ready for the memories that would assault me the second I opened the door to Tony's lair, where he went when he wanted to be alone, and where I normally heard unbelievably loud music in all hours of the day.

I went up the other stairs. I paused before the door to the room I normally slept in, but moved toward Tony's bedroom. I paused for a millisecond, but moved inside. I saw his enormous king sized bed, covered with a red bedspread. His desk was on one side of the room, covered with papers. His dresser, close to it, was also covered with junk. I smiled slightly. He never could tell the difference between a dresser and desk, so he put his things on both. He had the same floor to ceiling windows as the rest of the house, facing over the sea.

I sat on the bed, putting my stuff beside me. I reached for one of the pillows lying there, on the side he normally slept on. I hugged it to myself, burying my nose in it. I could still smell him, that scent that was distinctly _Tony, _on it. I started to sob quietly, breathing in his smell of sandalwood and vanilla, leather and grease that I was so familiar with.

I stood up with the pillow tucked in my arms, and went back down stairs to the living room.

I sunk into my normal seat, still clutching the pillow to me, taking some comfort in Tony's scent as I looked out the floor to ceiling windows. It was starting to get dark outside, though it was not night. This darkness was a storm brewing. It was coming in from the sea, and as I watched, a jagged piece of lightning struck, followed by a loud _boom_ of thunder. The dark clouds moved onwards, toward the beach front mansion. It started to rain, the great drops making the beach turn dark and hitting the roof with sharp _tap, tap, tap _sounds. It matched my emotions perfectly. Tears ran down my face as I watched the rain coming down.

(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)

I slept in Tony's room that night. I had an old t-shirt of his on, and his scent surrounded me, comforting me as I drifted off to sleep. And I dreamed.

_We were on the beach, running along the shoreline. He laughed as we ran._

"_Come on, Pepper! Betcha can't catch me!"_

_I giggled at him as he started to trip over his own feet._

"_Oh yeah?"_

_I ran past him, and he came up not far behind._

"_You're so slow, Potts!"_

_He smirked as he ran past me. This turned to surprise as I swiftly caught up and overtook him._

"_Oh, no fair! You have longer legs than me!"_

_He whined, running faster._

_I laughed._

_I looked back. Tony was stuck; his foot was caught in a piece of driftwood. He called out,_

"_Pepper, come help me!"_

_I tried to turn back, but I was frozen, looking back as Tony called out my name again._

"_Pepper!"_

_I yelled back, _

"_I'm trying!"_

_He didn't hear me; his voice getting even more frantic as he started to get pulled out to sea along with the wood .I was forced to watch as he was pulled beneath the waves, calling my name all the while, till he was gone. I screamed._

I woke up, still screaming. I buried my head in the pillows, sobbing as I breathed in Tony's scent. That was the worst nightmare I had ever had in my entire life. The dream, seeing Tony get pulled b-beneath the w-waves-g-gone f-forever…I cried harder, and screamed as the familiar agony stabbed me again and again, till I was just drifting, not doing anything but breathing and thinking of Tony as the waves of anguish washed over me.

I didn't fall back asleep that night, for fear of what I might see.

_**Day 7- Tony's House**_

I woke up slowly, opening my eyes and seeing Tony's bedroom. For a heartbeat, I wondered what had happened-had I finally given in to his flattery, and fulfilled my deepest desire? But no, I remembered, Tony was –gone-and would be for maybe forever. My eyes overfilled again, but I stopped before I gave in to the despair lingering beneath. I loved him, I knew that now, I thought it had been just physical attraction at first, but while his little black book of women just cared about his looks, I loved _him._ The look he gets when he figures something out, his childlike joy when he has a new idea he just _has_ to try out, his silences, his witty remarks, his devil-may-care attitude, and especially just that he's….._**him. **_Wonderful, brilliant, original _Tony. _And I would do _**anything to get him back.**_

With this in mind, I moved out of his bed, and went all the way downstairs to his workshop. I entered the code, and stepped inside. Seeing his tools and desk just the way he left them made me gasp for air again, but I breathed through the pain running through my veins until I achieved control again.

"Jarvis."

I addressed the AI.

"Yes, Ms. Potts?"

"Pull up a map of the middle east on one of monitors, centered on Afghanistan."

"Yes, Ms. Potts."

The map glared brightly on one of the screens, with Afghanistan at its center.

"Show me where they had the demonstration of the Jericho missile, and its surrounding landscape for twenty-five miles."

Jarvis zoomed in on the spot. I saw the flat desert where they had the presentation and the huge mountains around the desert. They were so big; I wondered how _**anyone**_ could find their way through, much less the U.S. military.

My thoughts, so recently filled with hope, turned to shreds once again, and the knowledge that I loved Tony –gasp- made the pain much worse. I looked away from the monitors, not wanting to see the source of my hopelessness. I moved toward the couch that was there, but the pain of all the memories-turning down Tony's music, making him eat something, making him go to sleep on the very couch I headed for at 3 in the morning when he hadn't slept for over 2 days….battered my mind until I was on my hands and knees, moving towards it inch by inch, stopping every couple of seconds to try to regain control. I couldn't. As I reached the couch and collapsed on it, I realized that it had been one week since Tony was taken. The workshop echoed with the sound of my cries.

A/N- I know this looks bad, but it will get better. I will update soon. Promise. R&R! Reviews are love! -K


	5. Kisses and Hallucinations

_**Day 8 –Tony's Workshop**_

I woke up on a couch. For a moment, I didn't know where I was, but the memories came back to me in a downpour of information-_hope…pain….love….I love Tony…._with a gasp of pain I remembered. I loved Tony Stark, and he was still gone. I rolled over, tears running down my face silently. I had no energy to scream, as I wanted to, so I endured the pain of loving him-sob-and knowing he was still gone from me. I wanted to have all my things down here with me. I would stay here, in the workshop, surrounded by my good memories of him and endure. Endure the pain until he returned.

"God, Pepper. You look horrible."

I gasped in pain and recognition at that voice. _His voice._ I turned toward it. And there, in all his glory, stood Tony Stark. The immediate joy running through my veins, such a contrast to my familiar pain, was so strong; my energy came back ten-fold. I stood up quickly.

"Tony! But-how-You were supposed to be captured, in a cave in Afghanistan!"

He smirked.

"Really? But as you can see, I'm right here."

I pondered this. There was only one viable solution. I was crazy.

"You're not real."

He frowned, his eyes puzzled.

"Not real? How can I be not real? I _feel_ real."

I sighed.

"That's the problem. You-the real you-is in a cave in Afghanistan, b-being tortured…."

My eyes started to well up again with unshed tears. The knife of pain started to slice its way through my heart, which felt like it had already been shredded to microscopic pieces, which proved that _he_ wasn't really back, because if he was, my heart would become whole again, smooth and unblemished.

The hallucination Tony moved toward me, stretched out to put a hand on my arm. I recoiled, tears starting to slip down my face. I looked down, missing the look of hurt and confusion crossing his face.

"You are a figment of my imagination, a hallucination. I finally snapped from the pain."

He looked concerned.

"Pain?"

"The pain of you, the real you, being gone, and not being able to see you every day, smiling, the possibility that you might not make it…it tears me up inside. It causes me more pain than you could ever imagine. The fact that I love you makes it even worse."

A small smile crossed his face as I looked at him.

"You love me?"

I smiled back. It hurt.

"Yes, I do."

He laughed. I looked at him, a mixture of joy and anguish rushing through me. The tears still ran down my face.

"Since you love me, will you do me a favor?"

I looked at him.

"Anything."

Even though I knew it was a hallucination, it still acted like Tony, so why not?

"Kiss me."

I looked at him, but he was perfectly serious. He really wanted me to kiss him.

"Okay."

He leaned forward, and as he did, I could smell sandalwood, vanilla, and leather; the scent that was distinctly Tony. God, I had a really sick mind. Our lips met. They were as soft as I'd imagined. He kissed me softly, slowly. I traced his lower lip with the tip of my tongue. God it was so _real!_ He pulled me in deeper; his warmth pressed against me, his scent caressing my nose….it was heaven.

When he pulled away, he smiled at me. Then he disappeared. I screamed as once more the pain took me.

_**Day 9- Tony's Workshop**_

I was afraid of seeing the hallucination again, but I stayed in the workshop. All of Tony's pillows that he had slept on, and the bedspread, were arranged on the couch. I slept in the workshop, working through the emails that had piled up about Tony's disappearance. I was in no state to call anyone, so I delegated the task to one of my staff, giving them information through email.

But once the necessary things were done that would last for a while, at least, I just curled up in Tony's bedspread and endured, wincing every once in a while as certain memories would hit me, and crying through it all.

_**Day 9-Rhodey's POV**_

I had decided to check on Pepper, to update her on what was going on with the search. As I came through the front door, I asked,

"Jarvis, where is Pepper?"

"She is downstairs in the workshop, Colonel Rhodes."

"I see. And how long has she been down there?"

"She has been there for 3 days, sir. The first night, she slept in Mr. Stark's bedroom."

Oh my God. This was worse than I thought.

"Thank you, Jarvis."

I went downstairs, pausing at the door to punch in my personal code. I could see Pepper sitting on the couch, wrapped up in a red blanket, with pillows all around her. When I moved closer, I recognized the bedclothes from Tony's bed. Oh God….

When I came around far enough to see her, I gasped. The normally polished red hair hung lank around her face, and she was pale, so pale, her face was sharp, angular, and she looked as if she had not been eating. But the most horrifying thing of all was her eyes. The bright blue was dull; the life was gone from them, as if she was dead. Tears slid down her face, never ceasing.

"Pepper?"

She looked at me. Her eyes were filled with pain, and anguish, her face impassive as she gazed at my face.

"Are you a hallucination too?"

She whispered, her voice, normally so bright, was hoarse, as if she hadn't talked in days.

"It must be, Rhodey can't be here, he's in Afghanistan, looking for-"

Her face crumpled, and she started to let out heart wrenching sobs, hugging one of the pillows to her. I moved toward her, and sat on the edge of the couch. She continued,

"You see, I must be crazy. The first hallucination was Tony. He talked to me like he really was him. It was so _real._ I explained that I went crazy from the pain, the grief, of him being gone, not knowing if he was coming back, of not seeing him, his face, his smile. I said that it tore me up inside. That the pain, the _pain,_ was something you couldn't imagine. And that it was made all the worse because I loved him."

She cried harder, screaming slightly and shuddering.

"He- He smiled at me, than asked me for something, since I loved him. I agreed. He then asked me to-to-to _kiss _him. I thought why not? So I kissed him. It was _wonderful_. My mind is really sick, because I could _smell_ him, his _scent_, and his lips were so _soft_- but when I pulled away, he was _gone_!"

She collapsed into herself, sobbing and screaming into the pillow. Her cries echoed in the room.

Yes, this was definitely worse than I thought.

I was frozen, horrified. I expected her to be worried out of her mind, and grief stricken, but this was _bad. If Tony ever comes back, I will kill him for doing this to her._

A/N- new chappie! Hope you like. Will update soon, i promise. R&R, reviews are love! -K


	6. Endure and Live

_**Day 10-Tony's Workshop **_

_**Rhodey's POV**_

When Pepper had cried herself out, and had fallen asleep, I covered her with the bedspread. I sat in the chair from Tony's desk, watching her. She looked so tortured… I looked at her more closely as she slept. Her face was not peaceful; I could see the lines of worry and pain etched on her forehead and around her lips.

I was just dozing off when I was jerked awake by Pepper's screams. I sat bolt upright.

"Tony! No, don't leave me! Don't leave me!"

She cried out in her sleep, then started thrashing around on the couch. Afraid she might fall and hurt herself, I shook her shoulder to wake her up.

"Pepper, Pepper….it's okay. I'm here. Wake up, it's just a dream."

She opened her eyes. When before her eyes were dull, they were now bright, fear in their depths. She breathed heavily for a moment, and then started crying. I gathered her in my arms, and she sobbed on my shoulder. When her eyes were dry, for the most part, she sat up and looked at me.

"Rhodey? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Afghanistan helping with the search?"

Her voice was still hoarse, and she only spoke in a whisper. Her eyes glimmered faintly with hope.

"Have- have they made any progress? Have they found-"

Her voice faltered for a moment. She winced slightly, then said,

"Have they found T- Tony?"

The simple name caused her to grasp at her middle, gasping. Her eyes were dull again, but the faint spark still lingered.

I hated to extinguish it, but she would hate me if I lied.

"We have narrowed down the mountains. We're pretty sure we know which one has the right cave in it, but there has been no sign of him yet."

The spark died, and a part of my heart died with it.

"What was your dream about? You were screaming."

She looked away, but answered.

"We are on the beach, just Tony and I. We are having a race. We are teasing each other, laughing, having fun. I pass him. I don't notice it for a second, but he isn't behind me anymore. I look back. He got caught in something, and is getting dragged out to sea. He calls out to me, calling me to come and help him…but I am frozen. I can only look back helpless, as he is pulled out to sea, screaming my name, and gets pulled under the waves. I try to scream, to tell him that he can't leave me; he can't leave me-alone…. But he is gone."

She trembled, crying and clutching her pillow to her, the one she curled up with in her sleep.

"I've had that dream almost every night since I came here."

_**Pepper's POV**_

I looked at Rhodey as he stared at me. What had I said, to make him look like that? Like he was about to go and punch someone, then fly to pieces, like I was – well, almost all the time now, since- whimper-_Tony _- gasp- left. His name caused me to grab at the pillow, the pillow with Tony's scent. I rubbed my face against it, taking deep breaths, inhaling the still lingering scent of sandalwood, vanilla, and leather. Trying to hold off the agony.

He looked at me as I suffered through the pain of remembering….._him._

(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)

I watched impassively as Rhodey paced the workshop, muttering to himself. As I scrutinized him, I noticed that though he was muttering angrily to himself, he had little crinkles around his eyes and forehead. When I looked at his eyes, though they had sparks of anger in them, beneath, were glimmers of pain. He was worried too. His eyes had black rings underneath them. He looked exhausted.

"Rhodey, what _happened _to you?"

He turned to face me, the anger in his eyes dying. He sighed. He went and sat back down in his chair, and rubbed his eyes.

"I haven't been getting much sleep. The search is coming along, but still- I worry."

"I know how you feel."

He smirked at me.

"You probably feel worse than I do."

"You have no idea."

He smiled sadly at me.

"No, I probably don't."

But he looked determined.

"I promise you Pepper, we _will _find him. It's just taking some time, that's all. They've hidden him well."

"Now, do you want to go upstairs?"

I looked around the workshop; this is where most of my good memories resided. Where _he _was most of the time. I would stay down here, remembering. Enduring, until he came back.

"No."

"Pepper, you can't stay down here till he comes back-"

"I said _no."_

He looked resigned.

"All right. I'll stay down here with you for the night, okay?"

"Okay."

I settled down for the night, pulling Tony's bedcover around me, comforting myself. I drifted to sleep with Tony's fragrance around me and Rhodey as my guardian.

_**Day 10-Tony's Workshop**_

I woke up gradually. The first thing I saw was a slip of paper where Rhodey had slept.

_Dear Pepper,_

_I'm sorry I had to leave. They need me back in the Middle East. Unfortunately, what I told you last night was a false lead. We are back to square one. Please don't try to dwell on it too much, please. Tony wouldn't want you to lock yourself away. You're right that I have no idea how you feel, but please just try. For Tony._

_Love,_

_Rhodey_

I looked over the letter multiple times. Well he was right that Tony wouldn't want me to lock myself away, but what could I do? Everything reminded me of him, _everything!_ Maybe it's this house. Maybe I should go back to my apartment…the waves of agony threatened to pull me under. I gasped and fell to my knees, crying silently.

No.

Running away from this house wouldn't solve anything. If anything, it would make it worse. My apartment was so empty. No memories to keep the grief at bay, no hint of Tony's scent to comfort me in the night. Just loneliness.

I would do what I planned to do all along. I would Endure and Live. Live so I could see Tony get off the plane, alive. Live so I could tell him I loved him. Live so I could see if he loved me back. But he needed to get home first.

The anguish I had been holding back by the tips of my fingers overwhelmed me again. The act of thinking his name so many times; the pain, it nearly tore me in two. I felt like I was breaking into pieces. I grabbed for my pillow desperately. The scent of Tony did little to help. I sobbed into the pillow loudly. Curling back up in the red bedspread, I looked at Rhodey's letter again through a film of tears. _Where are you, where are you; I think I may be dying without you. Why did you leave me alone? _ _Where are you, Tony? _

A/N- okay this one was hard to write. Any suggestions? It can involve hallucinations, but no reality, unless it's Rhodey. I have some brilliant ending Chapters written up in my head, it the middle Im running out on. I wanted to cover all 90 days so…yeah. R&R, reviews are love. I need more reviews guys! It motivates me! -K


	7. Pictures,Insanity,and the Liquor Cabinet

_**Day 11-Tony's POV**_

It had been over a week since I had been captured. Over a week since that damn missile had exploded right next to me, changing my life forever. I need to get out of here. I need to. The weapons these murderers have stockpiled to kill innocent people made me realize that I need to find a way to get control of the company before everything falls into chaos.

The first few days after I woke up to find a piece of metal embedded into my chest had been a blur. There was that bearded guy, the leader, I suspect, who wants me to build my most powerful missile to date- The Jericho.

When I refused, the bastard went and tortured me. It was excruciating. The only thing I could concentrate on was memories. And the only memory that kept me from going insane was Pepper.

Pepper. Her smile, her voice, the way her strawberry red hair shines in the sunlight, and those damned _eyes_… haunted me, and gave me something to live for. When Yinsen told me that I was a man who had everything, yet nothing, it really hit home for me. All I had back in Malibu was partying, any pretty woman who appealed, my projects, and my liquor cabinet.

I realized that the only person who was a constant presence in my life was Pepper. The one who grounded me, kept me from going too far, kicking all the women out of the house in the morning-"taking out the trash" she called it- I smirked slightly at the memory.

Yes, Pepper was all I had. All I had to live for. When I closed my eyes at night in this god-forsaken place, her face filled my dreams, her voice caressed my mind. Her voice saying my name…_Tony, Tony, Tony…_ I would give _anything_ to get out of here, to get back to her, my home. My Pepper.

_**Pepper's POV**_

I moved slowly back down stairs to my haven. Since last night, I've had phone calls from people, including one Obadiah Stane, wanting to know where I was, if I knew anything about Tony, about where he was.

_Tony._

_No_, I would email them back. I don't know where he is, and I don't know when he will be coming back. The thought haunted me. I crept around the empty mansion like a ghost. It just seemed so empty without him. I moved from Tony's wing to the wing adjacent to it. I looked in each room, glancing around at the neat beds and decorations, set up for guests. One of the rooms I came to was obviously once a formal living room. I walked in further, fascinated by the ornate furniture that adorned the room, so different from the modern pieces downstairs. As I moved deeper in the room, I noticed that all of the furniture was worn, but were obviously well loved. I wondered where all of this came from, but as I glanced at the far wall above the marble fireplace I got my answer.

I gasped as the old family portrait came into view. The Stark family, posed in formal wear. Howard, Tony's father, was quite young in this photo, obviously in his early 30s. Maria, Tony's mother, was breathtaking, her dark hair long and flowing over the shoulders of her pressed red suit. As I gazed at her, I realized where Tony's dark eyes came from. They were staring at me out of Maria Stark's face. I couldn't bring myself to look at the last occupant of the picture, so I looked more closely at Tony's parents. There were his cheekbones and wavy dark hair, on Maria. There was his chin and strong shoulders, on Howard. And surprisingly, there were his hands on Maria. His long elegant fingers, though smaller in Maria, were apparent. He must not have gotten all his talent with his hands from his father then. I gazed at these two people who had made my Tony. Their features were combined in such a way that they produced him. He, who was the best of both of them. I wonder what they would think of me, a working class girl, in love with their son.

I finally glanced at the last person in the picture. As I gazed at him, a few tears escaped from the dark place I tried to keep my agony bottled up in. He was so young, maybe ten, in the picture. His smile, so innocent, so full of joy, his eyes that were sparkling with intelligence and mischief, they bored into me out of the old portrait. I cried silently, this boy was my Tony. A younger Tony maybe, but the Tony I fell in love with. This boy who grew up to be a caring man who knew how to have fun, how to laugh, who enjoyed his work with a passion that almost frightened me, a man who, when he allowed himself, to forget about everything, and just live in the moment. I loved Tony through everything, through his downturns and disasters, his happiness and joy, his triumphs, his failures. I was always there for him, a quiet presence at his shoulder, someone to lean on when he needed someone.

But now I need him back.

(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)

_**Day 12-Pepper's POV**_

I didn't know what to do with myself, so I went back to the workshop. I curled up on the couch, turning the flat screen mounted on the wall on to the news. I leaned back, disinterested, until something the reporter said reached my ears...

"Tony Stark..."

I sat up, listening.

"It has been reported that the military has found no new leads on Tony Stark's abduction. Meanwhile, Tony Stark's PA, Virginia "Pepper" Pots has not been seen for a week in public since Mr. Stark's kidnapping. Is their relationship more than it seems? More at 6."

I shut the TV off, furious. I hated the press. They always made up stories when they couldn't get the truth, to get more viewers or more copies sold. It was ridiculous. That they should assume things...even if they were true. To myself, anyway. I didn't know how he felt. And I wouldn't, unless he came home, safe and alive.

I fell asleep, slumping against the couch cushions. My dreams were not pleasant.

_Tony was in a dark cave, covered in bruises. I looked at him closely. He looked up. I thought he couldn't see me, since he looked right through me. He got up slowly, and walked toward the front of the cave. He paused then said, in the coldest voice imaginable,_

_"Yeah, I think I am crazy."_

_He looked at me. His eyes were bright, bright with madness._

_"Why else would Pepper suddenly appear in the middle of the deepest pit of hell?"_

_As I looked at him, his eyes seemed to swell until all I could see were the glimmers of madness sparking in his dark chocolate irises._

_"But," his voice echoed around me._

_"Maybe I just finally cracked."_

_His maniacal laughter surrounded me as his eyes erupted into insane fire._

I woke up screaming. His voice echoed inside my brain,

_"Where are you, Pepper? I need you to keep away the madness."_

I sobbed into the couch, the familiar agony taking over my body.

_I think I may be crazier than you, Tony._

(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)

_**Day 13 - Tony's Workshop**_

I was a husk of my former self. I was barely taking care of myself. My hair was a mess, I wore the same sweats and a t-shirt all the time, I barely had anything to eat, I was basically a recluse, a woman in mourning until her love came home.

I was hiding out in the workshop, not moving off the couch.

I glanced toward the liquor cabinet. The fragrance of wine drifted its way toward me. It would numb everything... I moved mechanically, moving toward the glass door. It opened at my touch.

I took the mostly full bottle of red wine from its cradle. Clutching it to me, I moved toward the couch. Pulling the stopper out with my teeth, I sank into the cushions, drinking deeply. The effect was immediate. I felt numb, and weightless. I sighed, the weight of my grief lessened by the alcohol.

Tear still slid down my face, because though I could not feel it, the pain still wracked my body, leaving it trembling.

A/N- Writer's block is sent by Satan. I hate it. Well, hope you liked this chappie. More soon. Vote in my new poll, so I can decide what story to update more. Luv you guys! Oh, and no reviews, no chapter. They are my inspiration to keep writing.-K


	8. Pepper's Other Half

_**Day 14, 15, 16**_

_**Tony's Workshop-Pepper's POV**_

I have not moved from the workshop since I passed out. The alcohol induced numbness has worn off. I still tremble beneath the ruby bedspread, thoughts and images flowing inescapably in my mind.

_Tony. _

I have finally stopped crying. My tears dried themselves out, my eyes sting with absence of them, my cheeks are stiff. Only the burning of my chest as I struggle to breathe as the images assault me penetrates my mind, the part of it that is not occupied with the misery of my days waiting, waiting to see if any news had come in, if any tiny insignificant scrap of information had come, giving me some hope, some reason to consider living.

The liquor bottle sits next to me like a sentinel, offering relief.

_**Tony's POV**_

Here in this hellhole, I sleep restlessly, if at all. My dreams are filled with the only comfort my sub conscious can conjure for me.

_Pepper._

Her voice resonates in my mind, encouraging me, telling me that she is waiting...

_Pepper._

Her face is always on the edge of my mind, inspiring my work to reach levels of perfection. To come out exactly the way I want it to, no flaws or errors. The prospect of going home, back to _her_, drives my genius to make the connections faster, to work the complex calculations required of me in a thrice.

I have the plans drawn up, and have worked through the math. The suit will work. It has to.

(0)(0)(0)(0)(0)

Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me. I think I hear her heels coming toward me, _click, click, click. _But when I look up, it is only a rock falling from the ceiling, or metal rubbing against each other as Yinsen manipulates it with his steady hands.

I see a flash of red out the corner of my eye, a gleam of shining hair, but it is only the sparks of the fire.

Sometimes my mind tricks itself into believing Pepper is there. But she isn't. And the worry, the _fear,_ that she might never be there again, next to me, by my side, is driving me insane.

_**Pepper's POV**_

The pain has subsided somewhat, but I can still barely breathe, and all I can feel where my heart should be is a gaping chasm, made up of my anguish and pain, and my terror of not seeing him again. His face, those dark eyes sharp and deep with thoughts that sometimes eludes me, his grin when trying to annoy me to death, and the very _real _look he attains when he truly means what he says.

The images of his features drifting through my mind as I sit on the couch, clean, and dressed in fresh clothes for the first time in days, allow the terror and distress to consume me. Gasping, I wrap my arms around myself, keeping me from going to pieces. I still sink to the floor, silently sobbing as I curl into a ball, rocking back and forth, enduring the pain. I reach for the bottle of liquor at my feet. Instead of drinking from the bottle, I pour the whiskey straight up, into a glass. I downed it in one, sighing as the slight numbness soothed my body.

I knew the pain would never go away, not until he was home. I was still trying to find a reason not to just end it all...

_**Afghanistan-Rhodey's POV**_

We have not found anything, not one damn scrap of information about Tony's whereabouts. I knew Pepper could not possibly hold up much longer. Tony is a permanent fixture in her life, the one person she could always count on to be there every day, whether to cause her problems or to endure what he calls "torture" as she makes him attend all the meetings he hates to go to. Tony is her rock, the person she holds on to. Pepper was his, the one person who knew all his secrets, the one who _always _was there for him for anything, and not just because he paid her. So I must find him, before they both go insane from the loss of the constant presence they had in their lives for almost eight years, since Pepper started working for Tony. Since they became each other's other half.

So here I am, flying in a helicopter in the stifling Afghan desert, looking for any sign of human presence in these damned mountains. Looking for Pepper's other half.

A/N- so sorry it took so long, and that its shorter than normal. Real Life caught up to me. Do you guys like my descriptive, longer chappies or shorter ones, cause if they are long, it will take more time to update than if they are short. Please review! Trying to get up to 25! I live for them! -K


	9. Going On to Suicide

_**Day 17 Pepper's POV**_

_**Tony's Workshop**_

I've been living in this house for so long, I don't have any idea what day it is on the outside. All I know are the numbers. 17 days since he left me, since I lost myself to the everlasting pain that is the absence of _him._ I barely get up to eat anything anymore.

I can't breathe. I gasp in the air, trying to take a breath in, but it's as if my lungs aren't inside my body anymore. My heart is missing. I can't feel my heartbeat, I can't hear it.

Sometimes I wonder if I am dead.

But no, I can still feel it, the stabbing pain of emptiness that never goes away. And in death, isn't there no pain?

I still have the hallucinations. I lie on the couch, just enduring, when I feel a caress on my cheek, the feel of a warm callused hand stroking, brushing my lank hair away from my neck, warm breath on my brow, and the stubble of his beard as he kisses my neck. I take comfort in the mirages, for they give me something to fight for. For even in the all consuming pain, I haven't given up hope. He will come home.

_**Day 18 Rhodey's POV**_

Sand. And heat. These are the only things I have seen during this endless search. We hadn't found him.

Sometimes I think this is all just some grand joke that he is playing on us that he is really in Las Vegas or somewhere equally exciting, laughing his head off at the fact that he had fooled us while he drank liquor and gambled. But then reality sets in, and I remember the sight of blood on the sand. It turned the sand a dark red, centering on a suit jacket. Tony's jacket, soaked through with blood. His blood.

I shuddered slightly in my seat. I was on the flight back to L.A. to see Pepper. I wanted to see that she was all right, that she had not...

I couldn't even think about it. If she had given in and killed herself, it would destroy Tony. Even if he came back alive and well, if Pepper were dead, not with him to support him, it would devastate him. He would not survive a week without her. If he were ever to her cold and lifeless, he would end it. He would end his life, because I truly believe he cannot live his life without Pepper.

_**Day 19 Pepper's POV**_

My resolve hardened as I glanced at the evening news while wrapped up on the couch down in the workshop.

I needed to get out, and go back.

My continuing absence from Stark Enterprises was causing a _lot _of mania in the press. Mania I didn't want to deal with, and that I didn't want...him to deal with. When he comes back. So I need to keep the company running as smooth as I can, while he's gone. I will go and deal with the issues and trivial duties I need to do, the bare minimum. So I can come home and stop acting that everything's fine. Because it's really not. I can come back and curl up and just keep living.

I uncurled from my ball on the couch with this goal, and made my way shakily to the door. I opened the door and made m way upstairs, my bare feet cold on the stone steps. I stopped at the doorway to my room, looking down the hall to the master bedroom. I looked back and forth from my door to his door for a few seconds, then sighed. I went into my room, and got a couple of suits that were suitable for the office, and grabbed my two favorite pairs of stilettos. I would be sleeping in his room for the time being.

**A/N:** I am so sorry for the delay. I was buried in midterms. But with Thanksgiving Break coming, I might have time to write two more chapters. The next one should be up by tomorrow, or Monday. But I will post another before I have to go out of town. Review ppl! With lots of reviews, I write faster! -K


	10. Finding Out

_**Day 20-Stark Enterprises-Pepper's POV**_

I stood in front of the door, pulse pounding, staring at the dark mahogany finish of the doors. I didn't know whether I could go in and face the emptiness of his office. I'd just gotten back yesterday night. I slipped in and out like a ghost, only in slacks and a blouse, with a heavy layer of makeup on, in case anybody saw me. I knew I had looked a mess. I had gone straight to my office, recoiling from the sight of the heavy double doors just down the hall from my moderately sized office. I had been glad that all was dark, with only the security lights on, as a few tears slipped from my eyes as my control started to slip.

I started to reach for the silver door handle, but pulled back at the last second and hurried back to my office and closed the door. Sinking to the ground, breathing heavily, I put my face in my hands, and tried to regain control once more. I couldn't face it.

(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)

_**Day 21-Stark Enterprises-Pepper's POV**_

I looked down the hall at the dreaded doors. Today I would do it. I really needed to, since I had to look through some of the projects he had been considering for approval. I wielded his authority in his absence, even though officially Obadiah did, he wasn't around much. I slowly walked down the hall, my stilettos clicking loudly in the silence. The only people who worked on this floor were me, Obadiah, and Tony. All the other executives were on the floor below us.

I was in front of them now. I firmly grasped the silver handle, and pulled the door open. I quickly walked through and closed the door behind me, and locked it, before I lost my nerve. My breath caught as I looked around at the empty office, so lifeless, missing the vitality he brought to it, a twin to the house. Tony hadn't come in often, but if he did, he would often stay in his office, or go down to the labs to work on the projects with the other engineers.

His office had the same feel as the workshop back at the house, only slightly neater since I kept it in order most of the time. I went behind the desk and sat down, flipping on the computer. There were files open, and as I went through them, I noticed that these were shipping records. The first couple had Tony's signature on them, but the ones starting from a month ago had Obadiah's signature. I wondered why, since only Tony had the authority to sign off on those. Or I could, since I have the same authority in his stead. I read through the files, shocked, seeing the company's most dangerous weapons, mostly only sold to the military, sold to companies in the Middle East. I glanced at the transactions, sensing that something was off.

Obadiah was dealing under the table. To terrorists.

If- _when _-Tony came back, I was going to tell him about this.

Pulling a flash drive out of my bag, I attached it to the computer and started the file transfer. Halfway through, I paused it. There was a video file.

I clicked play, expecting to see a meeting or some sort of normal business meeting, but instead, there were some men around a bound man in a chair. I looked at the symbol above their heads. It was some sort of gang symbol, inscribed with Arabic writing. They pulled the bag off the man's head, and I screamed. Everything went black.

(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)

I moaned. I was bent over Tony's desk; my cheek was pressed against the edge of the keyboard. I glanced up, the image still blazing on the computer screen. I gasped, not believing my eyes. It was _him. _ He looked terrible. He had a bandage around his chest, and a large cut above his eye, but he was _alive_.

My control broke. I hunched over sobbing as I tenderly brushed my fingers on his face on the computer screen. I pulled my feet up on the chair, tears still running down my face. I pushed play, listening to the words spoken by the captors. They were in a language I couldn't understand, so I set the computer to translate.

_"Obadiah Stane. You didn't tell us the target you wanted us to kill was the famed Tony Stark. Our price has just gone up."_

I quickly resumed the download, leaning back in my chair. I would go back to the mansion and download the information into the computer in the workshop. I needed to tell Rhodey.

_A/N-I am so sorry! RL caught up to me bad, and i had to go through finals. But im done now, yay! So I can update during xmas break. Review! Luv u guys!-K _


	11. May Never Be Mine

_**Day 22-Tony's House-Pepper's POV**_

I lingered just outside the doorway to his room, scared to go in, now that I had seen some small fraction of what he had been through, scared of what the sight of the normal familiar things he uses everyday might invoke in me. I had called Rhodey earlier. The conversation had been short and to the point. We would deal with any emotional reactions later.

"James Rhodes."

"Rhodey, I need you to get down here _now_."

"Pepper! You sound so much better… why do I need to come over?"

"I found something on.."

My breath hitched, got caught in my throat. I hadn't said his name in _so_ long…

"…_Tony's _computer at the office. You need to see this. It may help us. In the search."

"Why don't you just email it to me?"

"Trust me, It would be easier for you if you were here in person."

"Alright. We haven't had much progress anyway. I'll be on the next flight over."

"Thanks. Bye Rhodey."

"See you soon, Pepper."

The line clicked.

So here I stood. I didn't want to be confronted by the scent I would always recognize from the moment I sensed it. Sandalwood, Vanilla, Leather. _Tony._ I lingered just outside the closed door, knowing that if I only opened the door, the scent I would always identify with him would drift out to greet me, undiluted by the days that had passed since his absence. It was as if his very _soul _had taken root, less noticeably than the workshop, but just as strong.

I walked in slowly, hesitantly, like a small rabbit afraid of crossing a great plain. I sat down on the bed, and just breathed. Tony's scent assaulted me, causing me to see him. I gasped, trying to shy away from the image of Tony in the video, but it was like it was burned in the back of my eyelids, even if I closed my eyes, it would follow me, the way his _eyes _looked, at first panicked and scared as he saw the situation he found himself in, then glazed with pain as he felt the full extent of his injuries. I was scared of what had happened to my Tony that had caused him to look that pained.

I knew he had been injured, but I did not know the full extent of his injuries, and that terrified me. I knew I was having a panic attack, but I could not stop my thoughts from flying from one horrible situation to the next, and I pulled one of the pillows down with me as I sank to the floor, trying to breathe as terrible thoughts floated through my head. I lay there on the floor, and allowed the dreams to take me.

_Tony…_

_I woke up in a bed. I sat up, and gasped. I was in Tony's bedroom, but it was drastically changed. On the other side of me, a closet was open. There was all my clothes in there, and even some more expensive looking things that I couldn't remember buying, much less being able to afford. The dresser was neat, the entire __**room**__ was neat. _

_I looked at the door as it creaked open. It was Tony, looking adorable as he stumbled to the bed half-asleep. _

"_Why aren't you up yet?" he mumbled. _

_He glanced at me, his brown eyes glittering mischievously between closed lids. _

"_Or you could stay in bed with me… Mini-me is still asleep…." _

_My eyes widened slightly as he reached up to caress my left hand, and the rings there. Wait. __**RINGS**__? I glanced down, seeing a moderately sized diamond with a thin gold ring below it. I started to suspect…. _

_I glanced at Tony's left hand. Their was a ring there too. Slightly bigger, and a simple gold, but it was there, claiming him as mine. We were married._

_I slowly pulled my self out of his arms, and pulled the covers over him. _

_I heard him mutter, "Love you Pep…" as I snuck out of the room. _

_In the hall there was other evidence of us being married, pictures of us together. In front of the house. Me in a wedding dress, him by my side, smiling at me. And, at the end of the hall, next to an open door, pictures of me in the hospital. Smiling. With a baby in my arms. _

_A whimper. I froze. Glancing in the open doorway, I saw a small shape moving in the crib. I moved into the room. It had a car theme, with little cute cars on the walls. I smiled. Another whimper._

_I went toward the crib, looking down at the child. He had a head full of soft ,downy black hair. He opened his eyes. I silently gasped. My eyes. _

_The child-__**my **__child- looked at me curiously. His eyes held such awareness and intelligence. He reached toward me with his chubby little arms. He gave me a look. __**Aren't you going to pick me up? **__I reached down and gently picked him up. _

_He giggled at me as I held him. I sighed. He was __**so **__like Tony. I cuddled him to my chest, stroking his downy soft hair. When he fell back asleep, I laid him back in his crib, pulling the blanket over his breathing form. _

_Warm arms encircled my waist. I started slightly, but relaxed as I felt Tony breathe in my ear. He rested his head on my shoulder, and kissed my neck. _

"_You are such a good mother, Mrs. Stark.. Jamie will be loved to death."_

_I gazed down at the baby. __**Jamie. **__He was mine and Tony's. Our son._

I gasped as I moved from my stiff position on the floor, the image of my baby still lingering when I closed my eyes.

I wanted it.

All of it.

I wanted to live the rest of my life in Tony's arms. I wanted to be the mother of his children and be his.

Which wouldn't happen unless he came home. I curled into a ball and breathed, staring at nothingness, dreaming of a future that may never be mine.

And hours later, that's where Rhodey found me.

"Pepper? What's wrong?"

I gazed up at him from my spot on the floor, knowing that my eyes were showing my hopelessness, and hope.

"On the computer. Video of -Tony. Obadiah planned to kill him."

Rhodey's features, normally so gentle, contorted in rage.

"That _bastard_! We will make sure he will go to prison for a very long time for this, Pepper."

I smiled sadly at him.

"That's not all. He's been selling weapons to the Middle East terrorists. There are shipping records in the files. Try looking at the shipping coordinates listed for him."

Rhodey's eyes gleamed with hope, then his face smoothed out as he roared with laughter.

I gaped at him, dumbfounded. What on earth was he **laughing **at?

His laughter subsided as I looked at him.

"I'm sorry. But just imagine what Tony will do when he finds out- Obadiah won't know what hit him!"

I giggled slightly. Contrary to public opinion, Tony was very serious about his company. When he wanted to be.

Rhodey stared at me intently. "We will find him. Now that we know what is going on, we can interrogate Stane and find out if he knows anything. That will help."

I closed my eyes as he hugged me. Taking some of his strength until mine returned,

_We will find him. _

I smirked.

_And when we do, Obadiah better watch out. Cause hell is better then dealing with Tony Stark when his wrath is riled._

_A/N: _I am so sorry for not updating sooner. School and things just caught up to me after Christmas. I hope you liked it, things will be a little different than the movie. Review! They are my inspiration and my paycheck. -K


	12. Capture of the Enemy

_**AN: Hey peoples! I am so sorry I have been gone for what, 5 months? My dad turned off ff because of school. Sorry this one is so short. Enjoy! CLICK THE LITTLE REVIEW BUTTON! **_

_**Day 23, Tony's House, Pepper's POV**_

I glanced at Rhodey as he was packing his things.

"Are you sure you'll be ok on your own for a few days?" he asked, yet _again._

"I'll be fine, Rhodey. You don't need to worry about me. Just make sure Stane suffers." I smirked maliciously. Nothing Rhodey could come up with would beat Tony's methods of interrogation and torture, when he got a hold of Stane. I was normally an advocate for peace, but I wanted to make the bastard suffer for what he had done to my Tony.

_He's not mine, _I reminded myself, harshly. What would he want with a plain, ordinary working class girl like me? But a little voice in the back of my head, which normally causes me to lose my cool the most often when I am desperate to keep my temper, whispered, _yet._

"Alright," Rhodey assented. I looked up, startled out of my musings. I had forgotten he was here.

"But you call me if you need anything, anything at _all_, okay?" he stared at me sternly, wanting to emphasize his words.

I nodded at him. I didn't want to go off the deep end again, which accomplished nothing. I would just have to ignore the little threads of night black pain trying to pull me back into misery. I would have to try to operate somewhat normally on half a heart and soul until justice had been served and Tony had come home.

Rhodey left then, leaving me in the empty mansion with ominous clouds on the horizon. I would just have to try and get through each day, hour, minute, until my pain was lifted by a smile that could light up the stars.

TPTPTPTPTPTPTPTP

I was staring at the phone again, after I had a shower and actually doing my hair for the first time in about a month. It was not anything fancy, but it was clean and pulled back from my face. I was determined to keep myself from slipping backwards into the pit of despair caused by Tony's kidnapping that I had slipped into. It is horrible, having to live with this pain, this _ache_, which tells me something is missing from my heart, my soul. So to have something to funnel that pain into, I chose one thing that would be productive to both my roiling emotions and Tony: revenge.

_**Day 24 – Undisclosed Location, Rhodey's POV**_

Rhodey glanced at the lavish house. It was beautiful, crème colored, with a large balcony looking out at the ocean. It made him sick, to look at all this wealth and comfort that Stane enjoyed, while he knew that Tony was suffering in a cave without anything. While Pepper suffered in her inconsolable grief.

"Bastard." He muttered, while glaring at the house.

He would take Obadiah Stane quietly and quickly, but he would not hold back on the very painful interrogation that awaited him. He approached the front door, noting the gaudy carvings adorning it as he knocked, then ducked out of the line of sight by the side of door as it opened. Obadiah looked out, dressed in a royal blue bathrobe and yellow pajamas that barely covered his expansive stomach.

"Hello? Is anyone out-" he choked as Rhodey grabbed him around the neck and pressed a knife to his neck.

"Who are you? What the hell is going on?" Obadiah snarled weakly, scarcely able to talk due to the razor sharp dagger putting pressure on his neck.

"Obadiah Stane, you are under arrest for treason, conspiracy, fraud, and the attempted murder and kidnapping of Anthony Stark, by order of the U.S. military." Rhodey replied, the knife pressing slightly harder on Stane's neck, drawing small beads of blood. Rhodey smirked at Obadiah's small wince of pain. "On a personal note, you bastard, you will suffer for what you did to my best friends. Be happy I was ordered not to kill you, or you would already be dead."

Rhodey pressed a cloth dipped in chloroform against Stane's face, and he dropped to the ground instantly. Rhodey dropped him, and smiling sadistically, kicked him over to the trunk of his car, before throwing him in the back, smirking as he heard the loud _thump _of his head hitting the floor of the car. He would tell his commanding officer that the injuries Obadiah had sustained were because he had resisted arrest.

_**AN: Ok, so that was the end of that chapter. More is coming! I will try to update almost every weekend, but I have a lot of work because I'm now a junior in high school, and I'm very busy. But I will not give up on this story, because I have at least two sequels planned for it. So bye peoples! Review please! -K **_


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